The world’s four major cardiovascular health organizations have announced a landmark agreement establishing the first universal definition of heart attacks, aiming to improve diagnosis and treatment for millions of women worldwide. The announcement was made during the opening day of the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress in Munich.
Under the new guidelines, three types of heart attacks that are up to 10 times more common in women will receive upgraded priority and recognition. These conditions include coronary artery spasm, where the artery tightens and deprives the heart of blood and oxygen, often triggered by emotional stress, exercise, or extreme cold; coronary embolism, in which a blood clot or fatty deposit causes a blockage; and spontaneous coronary artery dissection, a tear in the coronary artery that accounts for 80 percent of cases in women and frequently occurs during or shortly after pregnancy.
Historically, women have faced significant delays in receiving effective treatment because these less common forms of heart attack were classified with lower priority codes. The previous approach often failed to address the specific causes of attacks in women and sometimes resulted in treatments that worsened their condition. Additionally, women were required to reach the same troponin threshold as men—a protein released when the heart is damaged—to receive a diagnosis, despite evidence suggesting different standards may be appropriate.
The revised definitions and diagnostic criteria represent a major shift in how healthcare professionals worldwide will approach suspected heart attacks. Prof Nicholas Mills, the cardiologist who led the international task force developing the new guidelines, described the achievement as the first truly global alignment in how heart attacks are diagnosed, classified, and explained to patients. He emphasized that the implementation of these guidelines has the potential to revolutionize patient care across all countries.
The new guidelines were developed through collaboration between the European Society of Cardiology, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the World Heart Federation, and have been published in the European Heart Journal.
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